Thursday, September 30, 2010

Central Division Preview

Today we take a look at the Central Division. A division that has sent a team to the Stanley Cup Finals the last three seasons, winning the cup two of those times.

The big question in this division is can Chicago repeat as Stanley Cup champs or will Detroit rebound to retake the top of the division as they have for most of the last 20 seasons.

Will St. Louis, Nashville or Columbus have anything to say about it? Let's break it down.

Detroit Red Wings

Last Season: 44-24-14 102 points Lost in 2nd Round to San Jose
New additions:

Mike Modano, C (Dallas) Jiri Hudler, F (KHL) Ruslan Salei, D (Colorado)

Subtractions:

Andreas Lilja, D (San Jose) Brett Lebda, D (Toronto) Brad May, LW (Free Agent) Jason Williams, RW (Free Agent)

Why they'll succeed:

I think a better question is why wouldn't they. The Red Wings haven't missed the playoffs since 1990 which is the current longest streak in professional sports. Up until last season they have been a top four seed in the Western Conference since 1992.

The additions of Modano & Hudler will strengthen their 3rd line. Because of this the Red Wings have the ability to roll four lines throughout the entire game while other teams will have to shorten their bench.

Add those two players to a team that already has Henrik Zetteberg, Pavel Datsyuk & Johan Franzen and you can see why Wings fans are excited about their team.

Another reason they will succeed is because Nicklas Lidstrom returns on defense for another season. Make no mistake, no one player is more important to his teams success in the NHL than Nicklas Lidstrom. Without him the Wings would struggle to be a playoff team.

Why they'll fail:

They aren't as young as they use to be. I know each year I have to hear people make jokes about the Wings being an old team and then watching those same people eat a little crow when Detroit makes a long playoff run.

Last year it started to catch up Detroit as they slumped during the 1st half of the season. A strong finish after the All-Star break was enough for them to reach the post-season once again.

Another factor last season was injuries. At one point last season the Red Wings had $27 million dollars in players up in the press box because of injuries. They were able to overcome them but when you are an older team it takes longer to recover.

Playoff Team:

I don't see any reason they wouldn't be. Losing to San Jose in the playoffs may have been the best thing to happen to the Wings last season as they were able to get some well deserved rest.

With a lot of their players reaching the end of their careers the Wings should have enough left for one more run. If they stay healthy they should win the Central once again.

Chicago Blackhawks

Last Season: 52-22-8 112 points Won Stanley Cup

New additions:

Marty Turco, G (Dallas) Fernando Pisani, RW (Edmonton) Viktor Stahlberg, F (Toronto) John Scott, D (Minnesota)


Subtractions:

Dustin Byfuglien, RW (Atlanta) Andrew Ladd, LW (Atlanta) Ben Eager, LW (Atlanta) Brent Sopel, D (Atlanta) Kris Versteeg, RW (Toronto) Antti Niemi, G (San Jose) Adam Burish, RW (Dallas) John Madden, C (Minnesota)

Why they'll succeed:

Despite all the departures the core players of the Blackhawks are still in place.

Jonathan Toews won a Gold Medal for Canada, A Stanley Cup for Chicago, & the Conn Smythe Trophy for MVP of the post-season. Along with Patrick Kane they form a 1-2 punch that can only be rivaled by Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh.

Forward Marian Hossa & Patrick Sharp still provide the necessary depth at forward for the Blackhawks to be able to skate with most NHL teams.

Duncan Keith & Brent Seabrook are still the main anchors on the blueline for the Blackhawks. Add Niklas Hjalmarsson & Brian Campbell and you have a core of four defenseman that a lot of other teams are going to have difficulty matching up with.

Why they'll fail:

They let a Stanley Cup winning goaltender walk away as a free agent and replaced him with a goaltender that for as good as people say he is has underachieved for most of his career.

Yes Antti Niemi is not going to be confused with Martin Brodeur or Patrick Roy at this point of his career but he came up big for the Hawks when they needed him last season.

Niemi is now in San Jose and is replaced by Turco whose whole career has been a letdown based on what people expected from him when he took over as the Stars in 2002.

How bad did it get for Turco this summer? He was let go by Dallas and replaced by Kari Lehtonen from Atlanta. In free agency the Philadelphia Flyers toyed around with signing him before settling on Michael Leighton.

It's not a good sign when you are replaced by a former Thrasher and even the Flyers won't sign you to play goal.

The other major loss this season was the trade of Byfuglien to Atlanta due to Salary Cap reasons. He did a lot of dirty work down in the crease and got the Blackhawks a lot of key goals in that area. Someone will have to step up and fill his skates.

Playoff Team:

Despite the departures the core players remain and this team should return to the post-season to defend their title. as to how far they go will depend on who steps up to fill the voids in the lineup and if Marty Turco can finally become the goalie everyone has expected him to be. I'm not holding my breath.

St. Louis Blues

Last Season: 40-32-10 90 points Did Not Qualify


New additions:

Jaroslav Halak, G (Montreal) Vladimir Sobotka, C (Boston) T.J. Hensick, C (Colorado)

Subtractions:

Keith Tkachuk, LW (Retired) Paul Kariya, LW (Free Agent) Mike Weaver, D (Florida) Chris Mason, G (Atlanta)

Why they'll succeed:

The addition of Halak gives St. Louis their best goalie since Curtis Joseph played for them in the mid 90's.

Simply put Halak was spectacular last post-season leading Montreal to upset wins over Washington & Pittsburgh. The Blues are hoping he isn't a one year wonder.

Helping out Halak in front will be a trio of defenseman, Barrett Jackman, Erik Johnson & Eric Brewer. Jackman & Brewer have been mainstays on the blueline for the last five seasons in St. Louis. Johnson returned from knee surgery to post 39 points in 79 games. The Blues are hoping the former number one pick takes the next step into becoming an elite defenseman this season.

Why they'll fail:

Their forwards have yet to reach their potential as a group. Now with Tkachuk & Kariya gone one or two of their young skaters will have to step up & fill the void.

The best bets are TJ Oshie (48 points last season) David Backes (48 points last season) & Brad Boyes (42 points last season)

Backes & Boyes are former 30 goal scorers looking to bounce back after scoring 17 & 14 goals last season.

Alex Steen looks to build on his 47 point season while Andy McDonald hopes to duplicate his 57 point season which led all St. Louis forwards.

Playoff Team:

The reason the Blues missed the playoffs for the 4th time in five seasons was because they struggled at home. That led to the firing of Andy Murray after 40 games. Davis Payne replaced him and went 23-15-4 the rest of the season.

This team is talented enough to be in the playoffs. Provided the can continue to play well on the road and take care of their issues at home the Blues should return to the post-season.

Nashville Predators

Last Season: 47-29-6 100 points Lost in 1st Round to Chicago


New additions:

Matthew Lombardi, C (Phoenix) Sergei Kostitsyn, LW (Montreal) Aaron Johnson, D (Edmonton) Ryan Parent, D (Philadelphia)

Subtractions:

Jason Arnott, C (New Jersey) Dan Hamhuis, D (Vancouver) Dan Ellis, G (Tampa Bay) Dustin Boyd, F (Montreal) Denis Grebeshkov, D (KHL)

Why they'll succeed:

Their core of defenseman may be underrated but it is one of the best in the league. Led by Shea Weber & Ryan Suter they are capable of shutting down any teams top scoring line on any given night.

Kevin Klein and the return of Parent gives the Predators a top four that would be recognized as one of the best in the league if they played just about anywhere but Nashville.

Pekka Rinne joins what has been a solid group of goalies to play for Nashville. It started with Tomas Vokoun in 2004 & continued with Dan Ellis in 2008 before both left Nashville. Predator fans hope that Rinne will be able to stick around in net.

Why they'll fail:

The lack of a go to scorer. Nashville was 18th in the NHL in scoring last season. The departure of Arnott to New Jersey leaves a void that the Predators are hoping Lombardi can fill. He scored 53 points in Phoenix last season. Nashville fans are hoping he is not a one year wonder.

Speaking of one year wonders Patric Hornqvist scored 30 last season for the Predators. Was it a one time thing or a sign of things to come? it's still too early to tell.

Playoff Team:

When I look at the scoring up front I say no. When I look at the defense & the goaltending I say it's possible. When I factor in head coach Barry Trotz and what he has done in Nashville (5 playoff berths in the last six seasons) I think they are a playoff team.

The truth is they will be lurking right around the 7th to 9th seed in the Western Conference most of the season. I'll say yes right now because Trotz hasn't given me any reason to think otherwise.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Last Season: 32-35-15 79 points Did Not Qualify


New additions:

Ethan Moreau, LW (Edmonton) Nikita Filatov, LW (KHL)

Subtractions:

None

Why they'll succeed:

They may have the best player in the NHL that no one has heard of in Rick Nash. The former number one pick in 2002 was a beast for Team Canada in the Winter Olympics. He led Columbus with 33 goals & 67 points.

Why they'll fail:

For one Nash did all that last season without playing with a true number one center. The Jackets drafted Ryan Johnson to fill that void but it will be a couple years until Johnson is where he needs to be to play with Nash.

Another question is which is the real Steve Mason. Is it the one that won 33 games in his rookie season and had a Goals Against Average of 2.29 in leading Columbus to their 1st post-season berth or is it the one that won only 20 games last season and had a GAA of 3.05. With the blueline Columbus has I fear it is the latter.

Playoff Team:

Not this year. They didn't make any significant additions to their roster from last season. Add the fact that the Central is one of if not the toughest division in hockey it's hard to see the Blue Jackets finishing anywhere other than last place.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Southeast Division Preview

As we continue our division previews today we visit the Southeast Division. While it's not known for being a hotbed of hockey it is home to last season's President's Trophy winner the Washington Capitals. Both Carolina & Tampa Bay have won Stanley Cups since the Southeast Division was formed back in 1999. Atlanta & Florida are both looking to make it back to the playoffs and make their mark this season.

Who do I think will do well from the Southeast? Let's break it down.

 Washington Capitals
Last Season: 54-13-15  121 points. Lost in 1st Round to Montreal

New additions:

D.J. King, LW (St. Louis)
 Subtractions:

Brendan Morrison, C (Vancouver) Shaone Morrison, D (Buffalo) Eric Belanger, C (Phoenix) Joe Corvo, D (Carolina) Scott Walker, RW (Free Agent) Jose Theodore, G (Free Agent)
 Why they'll succeed:

They had the best record last season in the NHL and all their core players are returning.

You may see a lot of names on the list of subtractions but their AHL team in Hershey, Pa. went 60-17-3 en route to winning the Calder Cup last season. Look for Keith Aucoin to have a more prominent role this season.

Washington still has the most exciting player in the league in Alex Ovechkin. His 50 goals & 109 points led the team in scoring. Alex Semin & Nicklas Backstrom had 40 & 33 goals respectfully to provide scoring depth.

Mike Green is still an offensive threat on the blueline, scoring 19 goals and 76 points to lead all defensemen.

Why they'll fail:

While Washington is exciting offensively their defense has not been good enough to stop teams from scoring. Green is their best offensive defenseman but they don't have a shut down defenseman like a Pronger who can make life miserable for the other teams top scorer. Their defensemen will actually need to play defense before they can think about making a long post-season run.

Another issue is the goaltending. Theodore is gone which leaves the job to either Seymon Varlamov or Michael Neuvirth. Varlamov has replaced Theodore in net the last two post-seasons and will most likely be the starter when the season begins. Neuvirth led Hershey to the Calder Cup last season and will be ready to step in if Varlamov should struggle.Playoff team:

Definitely. You don't have this much offensive talent & miss the post-season. The only reason they lost last year to Montreal is because the Canadiens were able to take away the one thing the Capitals did best & that is score on the power play.

They didn't make a lot of roster changes this off-season which tells me they believe in the core of this team. I'm not sure how far they will go but I do know they are still the class of the Southeast.

Carolina Hurricanes:
Last Season: 35-37-10 80 points Did Not Qualify

New additions:

Joe Corvo, D (Washington) Anton Babchuk, D (KHL) Patrick O'Sullivan, F (Edmonton) Jeff Skinner (OHL)

Subtractions:

Rod Brind'Amour, C (Retired) Ray Whitney, RW (Phoenix)

Why they'll succeed:

It's Eric Staal's team now. He took over as captain last season from Rod Brind'Amour. With Rod now retired Staal has become the face of the franchise. He won a Stanley Cup before his 22nd birthday & he won a gold medal in Vancouver for Team Canada.

Staal struggled at the start of the season scoring only five goals in the 1st two months. He scored 24 goals the rest of the season, second on the team to Jussi Jokinen. I expect Staal to get off to a strong start now that he is the face of the franchise.

Cam Ward returns in net after missing most of the season due to a lacerated leg. His health is a key factor in any success the canes have.

Why they'll fail:

Whitney took his 21 goals with him to Phoenix which means someone will have to step up & fill his skates on a line with Eric Staal.

On defense they are led by Tim Gleason & Joni Pitkanen, two talented defenseman who have yet to play to the level that is expected of them. An underachieving group of defenseman is never a good thing to have

Playoff team:

There are a lot of question marks surrounding Carolina but their chances for the post-season hinge on the health of Staal & Ward. If they are healthy they are a playoff team. If not then they aren't.

One thing in Carolina's favor is the fact they play in the Southeast. While the Atlantic & Northeast teams should beat up on each other, Carolina should be able to take advantage of the Southeast and get a playoff spot this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Season: 34-36-12 80 points  Did Not Qualify

New additions:

Dan Ellis, G (Nashville) Simon Gagne, LW (Philadelphia) Pavel Kubina, D (Atlanta) Dominic Moore, C (Montreal) Steve Yzerman, GM (Detroit)

Subtractions:

Matt Walker, D (Philadelphia) Andrej Mezaros, D (Philadelphia) Antero Nittymaki, G (San Jose) Kurtis Foster, D (Edmonton) Alex Tanguay, LW (Calgary)

Why they'll succeed:

Their most important acquisition may be their GM. Yzerman comes from Detroit where all they have done is become the most successful NHL franchise of the last 20 seasons.

He won three cup as the captain of the Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002) He won one as an executive (2008). He won a gold medal for Team Canada as a player (2002) & has their GM (2010)

He takes over a very talented roster led by Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos & Vinny Lecavalier. The addition of Gagne only makes them better up front.

Kubina returns after stops in Toronto & Atlanta. He should be a good mentor on the blueline for Victor Hedman, who is expected to be the next great defenseman in the NHLWhy they'll fail:

Their goaltending is still questionable. They haven't had a top notch goalie since Nikolai Khabibulin won the cup back in 2004.

Mike Smith is in his 4th season with the Lightning and has set to claim the job as his own. He shared last season with Nittymaki. Now that Nittymaki is in San Jose Dan Ellis comes in from Nashville to try & win the job.

Playoff team:

Two years ago I bought stock saying the Lightning were a playoff team. That's before they crashed & burned out of the gate leading to the firing of Barry Melrose after 16 games.

For the 3rd time in six years they have new ownership and unlike the previous regime they seem to be doing things right.

Tampa has way too much talent to not be a playoff team. I like what Yzerman has done so far as GM. His moves should be enough for the Lighning to return to the playoffs.

Atlanta Thrashers
Last Season: 35-34-13 83 points Did Not Qualify

New additions:

Dustin Byfuglien, RW (Chicago) Andrew Ladd, LW (Chicago) Brent Sopel, D (Chicago) Ben Eager, F (Chicago) Chris Mason, G (St. Louis) Donald Brasher, LW (NY Rangers)

Subtractions:

Maxin Afiniganov, LW (KHL) Colby Armstrong, LW (Toronto) Johan Hedberg, G (New Jersey) Pavel Kubina, D (Tampa Bay) Marty Reasoner, C (Florida)

Why they'll succeed:

After being the GM since the beginning of their existence Don Waddell stepped down as GM to make room for Rick Dudley.

Dudley, who spent time in Chciago wasted no time in taking advantage of the Blackhawks salary cap woes by acquiring Byfuglien, Ladd, Sopel & Eager.

Add those four players to a nucleus of young talent in Evander Kane, Nicolas Bergfors, & Zach Bogosian and you have an exciting young team to watch.

Why they'll fail:

They still don't have a sniper to replace Kovalchuk. True, they never won any playoff games with Kovalchuk and Atlanta did finish strong without him but a player like that is still hard to replace. I can only imagine how good this team could be if they would have signed Kovalchuk.

Mason did a decent job in St. Louis but I'm not convinced he is nothing more than a serviceable NHL goaltender.

There is talk about playing Byfuglien on the blueline this season instead of at forward. He did play defense growing up but he made his mark in front of the net. I think he is more valuable up front than in back.

Playoff team:

Not yet. This is a young exciting team but I think they are still about a year away from making it to the playoffs.

I like the moves Dudley has made and I think if either Carolina or Tampa struggles out of the gate Atlanta could sneak by and finish 2nd in the division once again.

Florida Panthers
Last Season: 32-37-13 77 points Did not Qualify

New additions:

Dennis Wideman, D (Boston) Steve Bernier, RW (Vancouver) Michael Grabner, RW (Vancouver) Marty Reasoner, C (Atlanta) Chris Higgins, C (NY Rangers) Nathan Paetsch, D (Buffalo)

Subtractions:

Nathan Horton, C (Boston) Greg Campbell, RW (Boston) Keith Ballard, D (Vancouver)

Why they'll succeed:

Like Atlanta they have a GM, (Dale Tallon) who came over from the Chicago organization. Tallon was responsible for most of the players on the Blackhawks roster that won the Stanley Cup last season. That should give the fans in South Florida some optimism.

Tomas Vokoun in net gives Florida a chance to compete every night. Quite simply he is a good goaltender on a bad team.

Why they'll fail:

They have only two players on their roster, David Booth & Radek Dvorak who have scored over 30 goals in a NHL season. Booth missed most of last season after a vicious hit by Mike Richards and Dvorak last hit the 30 goal mark 10 years ago. With the trade of Horton to Boston someone will have to pick up the scoring.

Playoff team:

Not at this time. This team is still probably a couple seasons away from returning to the playoffs. With Tallon as the GM there should be some improvement eventually but I think the deconstruction Florida's roster continues through this season before starting to build the foundation next year.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Northeast Division Preview

With the season about two weeks away we continue our season previews for the upcoming 2010-2011 NHL Season. Today we take a look at the Northeast Division.

They sent four teams to the playoffs last season. Buffalo, who won the division. Ottawa, who pushed the Penguins to six games before being eliminated. Montreal, who reached the Conference Finals for the 1st time since 1993. And the Boston Bruins who became the first NHL team since 1975 to blow a three games to none lead in the post-season. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs didn't make the post season from this division.

Who makes it this season, let's break it down.

Buffalo Sabres

Last Season: 45-27-10  100 points  Lost in 1st Round to Boston


New additions:

Rob Niedermeyer, C (New Jersey) Jordan Leopold, D (Pittsburgh) Shaone Morrison, D (Washington)

Subtractions:

Tim Kennedy, LW/C (NY Rangers)  Henrik Tallinder, D (New Jersey)  Toni Lydman, D Anaheim

Why they'll succeed:

They pretty much have the same team they did last season. Niedermeyer is an upgrade on Kennedy, at least defensively while replacing Tallinder & Lydman with Leopold & Morrison is practically a wash. Neither defenseman stands out from who they replaced.

Ryan Miller is still in goal and long as he is in net the Sabres are a threat to win the Northeast.

Tyler Myers became a presence on the blueline, winning the Calder Trophy last season. He'll be counted on to anchor the Sabres defense in front of Miller.

Four Sabres reached the 20 goal mark last season. Thomas Vanek (28), Derek Roy (26), Jason Pominville (24), & Jochen Hecht (21). They will be expected to continue where they left off last season and provide the scoring for the team.

Why they'll fail:

They aren't as deep as they were four years ago. They could roll out four lines and skate with any team in the NHL. That hasn't been the case the last couple season due to free agent defections.

It took three seasons but the four players listed above finally came together and were able to replace the scoring & leadership they lost when Danny Briere & Chris Drury left back in 2007.

Buffalo is hoping that Drew Stafford can make the leap and join the four players listed above. He has yet to live up to his potential.

The health of center Tim Connolly is another factor. When healthy is is capable of being a 20 goal scorer. He has yet to play a full season since the lockout. If he can't stay healthy it will make things more difficult for the Sabres to contend.

Playoff team:
 
As of right now they are, as long as Ryan Miller is healthy. His play alone makes them a playoff team. Whether this team goes anywhere in the post-season depends on the players in front of him and how well they play.

Boston Bruins:

Last Season: 39-30-13  91 points  Lost on 2nd Round to Philadelphia.
 New additions:

Nathan Horton, C (Florida) Greg Campbell, C/W  (Florida) Tyler Seguin, C (OHL)

Subtractions:

Dennis Wideman, D (Florida)

Why they'll succeed:

They are deeper up the middle than they were last season. The additions of Horton & Seguin to center behind Marc Savard should make it difficult for other teams to match up against.

Defensively they are still led by 2009 Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara. With Wideman playing in Florida look for Johnny Boychuk (He just sounds like he should be a Bruin) to be paired with Chara this season.

Tuukka Rask was able to overtake Tim Thomas has the number one goaltender last season. He'll enter camp number one but Thomas will push him for the starting job and will get some playing time eventually. Competition should keep both goalies on top of their game.

Why they'll fail:
 This team still has trouble scoring goals. They finished last season with 196 goals, down from the 270 they scored in 2008-2009. Horton has averaged 25 goals since the lockout & should help but they will need Marc Savard & David Krecji to remain healthy if they want to return to being a top four team in the East.

Losing Krecji after Game four changed the momentum of the whole series. More has to be expected from Michael Ryder, Milan Lucic & Blake Wheeler on offense. Playing with Horton should help one of these three, whoever it is that ends up playing with him.

After Chara there is a drop-off of talent on the blueline. A healthy Dennis Seidenberg should bridge the gap a little bit but the Bruins still could use another top four defenseman. They are still hoping that Mark Stuart, Matt Hunwick or Andrew Ference are able to step up and fill that void.Playoff team:

Despite calling for their coach to be fired & Chara to be stripped of the captaincy I still believe the Bruins are a playoff team as long as they are healthy.

I think Boston is a lot closer to missing the playoffs than being a  top four team but as long as they are healthy they should grab one of the final spots.

Montreal Canadiens

Last Season: 39-33-10  88 Points  Lost in Conference Finals to Philadelphia
New additions:

Lars Eller, C (St. Louis) Alex Auld, G (NY Rangers) Jeff Halperin, C (Los Angeles)  Dustin Boyd, C (Nashville) Alexandre Picard, D (Carolina)

Subtractions:
Jaroslav Halak, G (St. Louis)  Sergei Kostitsyn, RW (Nashville) Glen Metropolit, C (Swiss League) Dominic Moore, C (Tampa Bay)

Why they'll succeed:
 Forwards Mike Cammalieri & Brian Gionta came up big in the post-season scoring timely goals for the Canadiens. Their success in the post-season is expected to carry over into the regular season.
Andrei Markov is healthy once again after hurting his knee in the post-season. He'll be the anchor on the blueline for Montreal. The emergence of PK Subban along with veteran Roman Hamirlik & Hal Gill give Montreal a deep core of players on defense

Why they'll fail:
 The biggest hero in their playoff run is now playing in St. Louis. With the trade of Jaroslav Halak, Cary Price is now the number one goalie once again. He has yet to prove he can handle the pressure of playing goal in Montreal.


Why would Montreal Halak? So they could sign Tomas Plekanec to a six year $30 million deal. That's a lot of money to give to a guy who has only reached the 70 point mark once in his career.
 Playoff team:

I think the Canadiens fall short this season. If they would have held onto Halak I would have made them the favorite to win the Northeast. With Price in net I see a meltdown coming at some point (sooner rather than later)

Montreal is good enough to be in the mix but will eventually miss out on a post-season berth.

Ottawa Senators:

Last Season: 44-32-6  94 points, lost in 1st round to Pittsburgh

New additions:
 Sergei Gonchar, D (Pittsburgh)
 Subtractions:
Anton Volchenkov, D (New Jersey)  Andy Sutton, D (Anaheim)  Matt Cullen, C (Minnesota)


Why they'll succeed:

Gonchar gives them a puck moving defenseman they haven't seen on the blueline since Wade Redden left for New York a couple seasons ago. His presence as a mentor for Erik Karlsson should only help his development for Ottawa.

Alexei Kovalev (18 goals, 49 points) did a good job of filling the void of Dany Heatley on the 1st line playing with Jason Spezza & Daniel Alfredsson.

The Senators also got goal scoring on their 2nd line from Mike Fisher (25 goals) & Milan Michalek (22 goals) Rookie Peter Regin scored 13 goals for the senators last season and should improve on that this season.Why they'll fail:
 Their goaltending is still shaky. Pascal LeClaire was acquired to be the number one goaltender only to lose it to Brian Elliott. Elliott had a couple bad games in the post-season and was replaced by LeClaire. As of right now Elliott has the starting job but is being challenged by LeClaire.

Playoff team:
 
One thing that worked well for Ottawa last season was no one expected them to be in the post-season. After missing the playoffs in 08-09 and trading Heatley they flew under the radar through the 1st part of the season. By the time teams realized how good Ottawa was they were in position for a playoff berth clinching the number five seed in the East.
 
They won't sneak up on anyone this season. They have a good core of young players but will need to get off to another strong start to make the playoffs. I don't think they will catch anyone off guard this season. I see them missing the post-season
 
Toronto Maple Leafs:
 
Last Season: 30-38-14  74 points, Did Not Qualify for Playoffs
 New additions:

Colby Armstrong, RW (Atlanta) Clarke McArthur, LW (Atlanta) Kris Versteeg, RW (Chicago) Brett Lebda, D (Detroit)


Subtractions:

Viktor Stahlberg, C/W (Chicago)
 Why they'll succeed:

Their Blueline. Anchored by Dion Phaneuf they have four quality defenseman (Mike Komisarek, Tomas Kaberle, Brayden Schenn) that can match up with just about anybody in the league.

Why they'll fail:

Lack of depth at forward. Yes it has gotten better with the acquisitions of Armstrong & Versteeg to go along with Kessel last season but they still aren't deep enough up front to skate with the other teams in the East
 Playoff team:
 
Not yet but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Brian Burke has done a good job building this team from the goal outward, acquiring Phaneuf from Calgary & Jean-Sebastian Giguere from Anaheim last season.
 
I still think they need two more forwards to compete but I could see them doing what Ottawa did last season. Eventually their lack of scoring up front will have the Leafs on the outside looking in.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

ATLANTIC DIVISION PREVIEW

As we start our division previews today we will start out East in what I believe may be the most competitive division in all of hockey, The Atlantic Division.

Last season New Jersey won this division but Philadelphia went the furthest of all five teams, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, Philly & the New York Rangers had to go to a shoot-out on the final day of the season to determine the final playoff spot.

Can the Devils repeat as Division Champs? Will Pittsburgh or Philadelphia challenge for the Division title? Are the New York teams a threat? Let's break it down.

NEW JERSEY:

Last season:
48-27-7  103 points,  lost in 1st round to Philadelphia

New Additions:

Anton Volchenkov, D (Ottawa) Henrik Tallinder, D (Buffalo) Jason Arnott, C (Nashville) Johan Hedberg G (Atlanta)

Subtractions:

Paul Martin, D (Pittsburgh) Rob Niedermeyer, C (Buffalo) Martin Skoula D (KHL)

Why they'll succeed:

They have Ilya Kovalchuk for a full season. Sure it took them a month & a half to sign him but he was productive after coming to the Devils in a trade last season with Atlanta. He averaged a point a game in New Jersey scoring 10 goals and 17 assists in 27 games. For a team known for lacking a sniper having Kovalchuk for a full season should fill that void. Having Arnott as his center should increase his point total this season.

Why they'll fail:

Their blueline is weaker after the loss of Paul Martin. Truth be told they haven't been strong defensively since the lockout when Scott Stevens retired & Scott Niedermeyer left for Anaheim as a free agent.

Martin did a decent job filling the void for Niedermeyer the last few seasons. Now with him in Pittsburgh the Devils are hoping that Tallinder can fill his role while Volchenkov can finally fill the role that Stevens played before his retirement.

Playoff Team:

These aren't the same Devils that were dominant between both lockouts. The core of the team has gotten older and most of their better players have retired or moved on to different teams. But they still have Martin Brodeur and as long as he is in net they should be a playoff team. Whether they can go far is another question but the Devils should be playing hockey once again this spring.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS:

Last Season:
47-28-7  101 points  Lost in 2nd Round to Montreal

New Additions:

Paul Martin, D (New Jersey) Zybnek Michalek, D (Phoenix) Arron Asham, F (Philadelphia) Mike Comrie, C (Edmonton

Subtractions:

Sergei Gonchar, D (Ottawa) Alex Ponikarovsky, F (Los Angeles) Bill Guerin, LW (Free Agent) Ruslan Fedotenko, LW (Free Agent) Mark Eaton, D (NY Islanders)

Why They'll Succeed:

They may have the best one two punch in the league with Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin. The addition of Comrie allows them to move Jordan Staal up to wing on the 2nd line instead of centering the 3rd line. The signings of Martin & Michalek should offset the loss of Gonchar on the blue line

Why They'll Fail:

Marc Andre Fleury looked ordinary in net last season after leading The Penguins to the cup in 2009. He needs to bounce back and show the form he had in 2008 & 2009 when he led Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Guerin departure leaves the void of a veteran presence in the locker room to calm the Penguins when times get rough. We'll find out if they can weather tough times this season without him.

Playoff Team:

Definitely, There is too much talent on this roster to miss the playoffs. Staal will miss the start of the season with a foot injury but the Penguins are deep enough to survive the 1st month without him. Even without him I expect the Penguins to win the division once he returns.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS:

Last Season:
41-35-6  88 Points  Lost in Stanley Cup Finals to Chicago

New Additions:

Andrej Meszaros, D (Tampa Bay) Sean O'Donnell, D (Los Angeles) Matt Walker, D (Tampa Bay) Jody Shelley, LW (NY Rangers) Nikolai Zherdev, RW (KHL)


Subtractions:

Simon Gagne, LW (Tampa Bay) Arron Asham, F (Pittsburgh) Ryan Parent, D (Nashville)

Why They'll Succeed:

They may have the deepest blueline in the NHL. Led by former Norris & Hart Trophy winner Chris Pronger they can skate out six defenseman throughout the whole game without having to shorten their bench. Danny Briere & Mike Richards look to pick up where they left off last post-season.

Why They'll Fail:

Goaltending, what else. When we last saw them Michael Leighton was letting in a soft goal giving the Chicago Blackhawks the Stanley Cup title. Despite that Leighton was given a contract extension based on what he did for the team when he was signed in December.

Simon Gagne void will be felt in the lineup. He has battled injuries in the past but when he played he was one of their best players and without him the Flyers get swept by Boston in the 2nd round

Playoff Team:

I believe they are. I think they have enough scoring up front and their defense is good enough to cover up whatever flaws they have in goal during the regular season. Whether that carries over into the playoff remains to be seen but I think this team will be playing hockey this spring

NEW YORK RANGERS:

Last Season:
38-33-11  87 points  Did not Qualify for Post-season

New Additions:

Alexander Frolov, LW (Los Angeles)  Todd White, C (Atlanta)  Steve Eminger, D (Anaheim)  Derek Boogaard, RW (Minnesota) Martin Biron, G (NY Islanders)

Subtractions:

Donald Brasher, LW (Atlanta)  Aaron Voros, RW (Anaheim) Olli Jokinen, C (Calgary)  Jody Shelley, LW (Philadelphia)

Why They'll Succeed:

They are trying to make up for last season. New York got off to a hot start winning seven of their first eight games. They went into a slump during the middle of the year and found themselves fighting for the final playoff spot in the East on the last day of the season only to fall short.

Henrik Lundqvist might be the best goalie in their division not named Brodeur and is good enough to win a post-season series by himself. The addition of Biron to spell him for a few games should keep him fresh during the regular season.

Marian Gaborik reached the 40 goal mark for the second time in his career last season. As long as he can stay on healthy and on the ice he is a threat to score for the Rangers.

Why They'll Fail:

Their biggest acquisition in the off-season was signing a guy to a four year deal who has only scored two goals in five seasons. Yes, Boogaard will provide insurance for Marian Gaborik on the ice and after Gaborik's fight against Dan Carcillo there was a need for Gaborik to have a bodyguard. But 1.65 million over four years is way too much money to pay someone who hasn't scored a goal since 2006. They needed to add another impact player this off-season and they failed to do so.

Playoff Team:

I don't think they are at this point. I think they are weak up front. New York has one good line that can score while most teams have two or three lines. Boogaard will provide an intimidation factor which should allow Gaborik to skate without having worried about getting mugged on the ice.

But they need more than Gaborik to score for them. Frolov will be counted on to provide scoring for the 2nd line but unless one of their young guys step up. They have one good defenseman on their blueline in Marc Staal. Everyone else is either real young or they are constant underachievers.

The way the Rangers are constructed right now I think they will fall short of a playoff berth.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS:

Last Season:
34-37-11  79 Points  Did Not Qualify for Post-season

New Additions:

Mark Eaton, D (Pittsburgh) Milan Jurcina, D (Washington) James Wisnewski, D (Anaheim)

Subtractions:

Richard Park, RW (Swiss League) Martin Biron, G (NY Rangers)

Why They'll Succeed:

They have a lot of young talent that is ready to blossom. John Tavares & Kyle Okposo are the two core players the Islanders are building around. Both players led the Islanders in points with 54 & 52  respectively. Tavares finished 2nd on the team with 24 goals and Okposo 3rd with 19 goals. Another year should make both players better.

Matt Moulson was a pleasant surprise in his 1st year with New York leading the team with 30 goals. He'll be counted on to match his production from last season.

The acquisition of James Wisniewski from Anaheim gives the Islanders a physical defenseman who can move the puck. He, along with Mark Striet will help solidify the blue line.

Why They'll Fail:

There isn't enough depth to succeed. Tavares looked good by himself on the ice last season but he doesn't have much to work with at this present time. He needs a sniper to play with. Whether Moulson or Trent Hunter can be that guy remains to be seen.

And then there is goalie Rick DiPietro. He was signed to a 15 year contract back in 2006. In the last two season he has played a total of 13 games. That's not really getting a lot for your investment. I'm guessing we will be seeing a heavy does of Dwayne Roloson in net this season for the Islanders.

Playoff Team:

I don't believe they are. Garth Snow has done a nice job with some of the addition he has made but the reality is they are still a few players away from contending in the East. A healthy DiPietro would make a difference but at this point you can't count on him to contribute to the team.

They need someone to step up and help Tavares on the wing. Until that happens this team will still be on the outside looking in.

Friday, September 17, 2010

NHL Training Camps Are Underway

Greetings Hockey Fans,

The last time we got together The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime to win their 1st Stanley Cup in 49 years. (I love happy endings)

Since then there have been a lot of changes throughout the summer. We have new coaches in Atlanta, Columbus, Edmonton & Tampa Bay.

We have seen playoff heroes (Jaroslav Halak, Dustin Byfuglien) move on to different cities (St. Louis, Atlanta) hoping the magic they had last season will carry over to their new addresses.

We have seen 29 NHL franchises makes transactions & tweaks to their rosters hoping that they will end up where Chicago was at the end of last season, raising the Stanley Cup.

Another change you might notice if you are reading this blog is the title. Quest4cup did work well for the post-season but as I decided to extend my writing into the Regular Season I decided to start fresh. After kicking around a couple ideas I decided to settle on Between Blue Lines.

Here at Between Blue Lines we will focus on what is going in & around the NHL. Most of my focus will be heavy toward The Minnesota Wild (since I go to just about every home game.) & The Detroit Red Wings (who I follow with a passion.) Don't worry though, if your team is making news I will have an opinion about it & you can read it here.

My plan as training camp opens up is to breakdown the teams by each division followed by my predictions for the 2010-2011 NHL season.

Hopefully you enjoy what you read on this blog and if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them with me.

Hockey's Back and the season gets underway in 20 days.